Scores Rennes en direct
24 September 2010 | à 00h59

Antonetti : « I’m not going to come in and play as a striker! »

The elimination by Guingamp on Wednesday comforted Frédéric Antonetti in his opinion: Recruitment is necessary to reinforce an attack with no internal competition. As the game in Nice closes by, he gets more and more insisting.

Antonetti : « I'm not going to come in and play as a striker! »

Before Saturday’s game in Nice, Frédéric Antonetti came back on his players’ prestation at the Roudourou in a press conference. “We’re far from ready”, he guaranteed. (…) There’s already been lots of trouble in a limited squad.” Then, balancing between irritation and fatalism, he admitted: “And I’m not talking about the striker that was supposed to arrive, that hasn’t arrived yet, that will arrive, that will maybe arrive…”“It was obvious yesterday, at some point it’s just enough… he got fired up. I’m not going to come in and play as a striker!”

Frédéric Antonetti believes, « there is competition for every position except in attack. There’s a player missing”. Camara and Kembo-Ekoko can’t compete with Montaño for the centre forward position at the moment. At Le Roudourou, another striker would have been precious to keep the ball in the second half, which “could maybe have changed the game’s physiognomy”

Pressure on the Management?

Since Asamoah Gyan and Ismaël Bangoura left, Frédéric Antonetti keeps on telling the media how he needs a new striker. Before the game in Nice, the Corsican manager then adopted a slightly harsher tone, in a subtle way, implicitly calling on the Rennes management.

In reply to a question on the impression he was fed-up with the situation, he simply explained: « No, I’m not fed-up. I’m disappointed, and I try to pass on the message that we are at the beginning of a cycle. I say that without looking for excuses. That’s why I say, if anybody can do better, there is no hesitation to have even in the space of thirty seconds. I describe the situation as I feel it every day, and I believe I’m the best able person to judge of my team’s ability and evaluate the players.” In other words, as long as a new experienced attacking player doesn’t join the squad, the Stade Rennais won’t be able to produce more quality football than it currently does.

« When everyone’s in, we have a good team, but 5 others are better on paper. I’m not protecting myself by saying so, he insisted. If tomorrow they think I’m not good enough, they can always change, I’m not protecting myself against anything, I’m not sticking to my position as a leech. I say things the way I think them and the way I feel them.”

It remains to be known who he considers as « they ». The club’s direction? François Pinault himself? Frédéric Antonetti would not say more but he is, by all means, decided to attract the attention of some of the club’s senior deciders.

Nicolas Auffray - Le Mensuel de Rennes

Picture : www.rennes.lemensuel.com

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